Removal device for desiccant

ABSTRACT

A removal device ( 1 ) is provided for the desiccant of the refrigerant of an air conditioner for vehicles, which is arranged in a receiver ( 4 ) connected to one manifold ( 2 ) of an integrated condenser/receiver unit ( 3 ) of the air conditioner and is fastened with one end ( 5 ) to a closure cover ( 6 ) of the receiver ( 4 ), the receiver ( 4 ) being connected via inflow and outflow openings ( 8, 9 ) in its wall ( 12 ) to the manifold ( 2 ). A receiving space for the desiccant is formed between the removal device ( 1 ) and the wall of the receiver ( 4 ) opposite the inflow and outflow openings. The removal device ( 1 ) has an impact wall ( 20 ) in the area of the inflow opening ( 8 ). The removal device ( 1 ) is formed as a rod ( 50 ) from the impact wall ( 20 ) to roughly the closure cover ( 6 ) designed as a plug ( 60 ) so that the wall of the receiver ( 4 ) lying on the side of the inflow and outflow openings is available as a boundary of the receiving space for the desiccant. The plug ( 60 ) has a recess ( 61 ), which cooperates with the wall of the receiver ( 4 ) to align the plug ( 60 ) and the removal device ( 1 ) in the receiver ( 4 ) in a prescribed position when inserted in the receiver ( 4 ).

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to German Application No. DE 10 2005 035 344.4, filed Jul. 28, 2005, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

MICROFICHE/COPYRIGHT REFERENCE

Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to integrated condenser/receivers for use in air conditioning systems, and in more particular applications, for such integrated units for use in the air conditioning systems for vehicles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns removal devices for the desiccant or dryer of the refrigerant in an air conditioner, particularly air conditioners for vehicles, which is arranged as an insert in a receiver or collector connected to one manifold or collecting tank of the condenser of the air conditioner and fastened at one end to a closure/cover of the receiver, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,959,563. The receiver is connected to the manifold tube via inflow and outflow openings in its wall, with a receiving space for the desiccant being formed between the removal device and the wall of the receiver. The removal device has an impact wall in the area of the inflow opening.

-   -   While the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,959,563 works well for         its intended purpose, it was found that only part of the         refrigerant may be coming into contact with the desiccant         because another part of the refrigerant may flow further         downward through the filter basket without coming in contact         with the desiccant, which could be viewed as a drawback in terms         of the drying process. Thus, as shown by this example, there is         always room for improvement in such devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved removal device for use in the receiver of an integrated condenser/receiver construction.

According to one feature of the invention, a removal device is designed rod-like from an impact wall to roughly a closure/cover designed as a plug so that the wall section of the receiver lying on the side of the inflow and outflow openings is available as a boundary of the receiving space for the desiccant. The plug has an alignment locating aid, which cooperates with the wall of the collector, so that the plug with the removal device can be inserted in the desired position in the receiver relative to the inflow opening. After the air conditioning system has been removed from operation, the plug sitting in the opening of the receiver is released and pulled out of the receiver together with the removal device fastened to it, in which case the desiccant (usually in the form of a dryer unit having the desiccant in a bag or other container), sliding along the wall of the receiver, can be removed from the receiver with the device. If necessary, a new desiccant/dryer can be inserted.

Several advantages are gained by the proposed design. Initially even less material is required in order to form the removal device in comparison to the device of U.S. Pat. No. 6,959,563. Moreover, the space available to accommodate the desiccant is increased accordingly by reducing the size of the removal device. In addition, the dependence of the configuration of the removal device on the diameter of the collector is eliminated. The removal device can therefore also be used for collectors of different diameter when that changes. Moreover, better wetting of the desiccant with the refrigerant is produced without eliminating the advantageous impact wall. The alignment/locating aid can guarantee that the impact wall surface is arranged perpendicular to the inflow direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the removal device;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a section through a closure plug of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows another detail on the detail closure plug together with a manifold of an integrated condenser/receiver unit; and

FIG. 5 shows a section of the integrated condenser/receiver unit in the area of an inflow opening and an outflow opening.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIGS. 1-5, a removal device 1 is provided for the desiccant of the refrigerant in an air conditioner for vehicles, and is arranged in a receiver or collector 4 connected to one manifold or collecting tube 2 of an integrated condenser/receiver unit 3 of the air conditioner. The removal device 1 is fastened with one end 5 to a closure cover 6 of the receiver 4. The receiver 4 is connected via an inflow and outflow openings 8, 9 in its wall 12 to one of the manifolds 2 of the integrated condenser/receiver unit 3. The remainder of the integrated condenser/receiver unit 3 and its other manifold (which is situated on the undepicted end of an integrated condenser/receiver unit 3) are not shown. Both manifolds 2 are known to be arranged parallel to each other. A receiving space for the desiccant (shown by arrows A in FIG. 5) is provided in the receiver 4. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, the removal device 1 includes an impact wall 20 in the area of the inflow opening 8. As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the removal device 1 is shaped as a rod 50 from the impact wall 20 to roughly the closure cover 6 so that the wall section of the receiver 4 lying on the side of the inflow and outflow openings 8 and 9 is available to define the receiving space for the desiccant. Consequently, the desiccant or dryer can be designed so that it fills up the space around rod 50. Preferably, the rod 50 has a cross-shaped configuration in cross-section in order to improve its stability. In removal devices 1 of greater length, this is advantageous. The closure 6 is designed as a plug 60 which has a recess or indent 61, best seen in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, which cooperates with the wall of the receiver 4 in order to be able to insert the plug 60 with the removal device 1 always in the reference or desired position in receiver 4 (FIGS. 3 and 4). The recess 61 is located in the periphery of the plug 60, and corresponds to a local inward-directed deformation 62 in the wall of receiver 4. The plug 60 therefore can only be inserted when the recess 61 and the deformation 62 are aligned. It is therefore ensured that the impact wall 20 is situated in its prescribed position after insertion and can fulfill its task, which consists of protecting the desiccant or dryer situated in a traversable vessel (not shown) from the directly inflowing refrigerant. Because of this, wear or erosion of the desiccant is reduced.

FIG. 4 also shows the connection between the plug 60 and the upper end of the removal device 1 which is related to positioning. This consists of a hole 63 in plug 60 open in the longitudinal direction, in which a cross-shaped head piece 64 of the removal device 1 is situated. The hole 63 and the head piece 64 are situated on a common vertical line with recess 61. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 a cover cap 90 made of plastic is preferably provided in order to protect the plug 60. The cover cap 90 is preferably screwed into the plug 60 on the top in the depicted practical example. The plug 60 is secured in the sealed position by means of an elastic ring 91, such as a C-ring or snap ring, which is situated in a groove 92 in the wall of the receiver 4. Sealing of the receiver 4 is ensured by O-rings 93 on plug 60. The opening of the receiver 4 is widened somewhat in order to facilitate insertion of the plug 60 and to achieve the sealing effect.

FIG. 5 shows the connection between the receiver 4 and one manifold 2 by means of the two openings 8 and 9. The upper opening 8 is the inflow opening 8 and the lower one the outflow opening 9. On the lower end of the removal device 1 there is a filter basket 70 equipped with a seal 80, which ensures that the refrigerant cannot flow further without being filtered. In the manifolds 2 partitions 100 are provided at fixed spacings to cause back and forth flow of the refrigerant in groups of flat heat exchanger tubes (not shown) extending between the manifolds, during which the refrigerant is condensed and supercooled by heat removal with a cooling air flow. Openings 101 are provided in the manifold 2 to receive ends of the flat heat exchanger tubes (not shown). The other ends of the flat tubes are situated in corresponding openings 101 of an integrated condenser/receiver unit 1 in the other manifold 2. 

1. An improvement in a removal device for the desiccant of a refrigerant in an air conditioner for vehicles, the removal device arranged in a receiver connected to one manifold of a condenser of the air conditioner and is connected at one end to a closure of the receiver, the receiver being connected via inflow and outflow openings in a wall of the receiver to the manifold, with a receiving space for the desiccant being formed between the removal device and the wall of the receiver, the removal device having an impact wall in the area of the inflow opening; the improvement wherein: the removal device further comprises a rod extending between the impact wall and the closure such that the wall of receiver lying on the side of the inflow and outflow openings is available as a boundary of the receiving space for the desiccant, and the closure comprises a recess which cooperates with the wall of the receiver to align the removal device in a prescribed position in the receiver.
 2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the rod had a cross-shaped cross section.
 3. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the removal device further comprises a filter located at an end of the removal device opposite from the closure, and a seal engaged with the receiver between the inflow opening and the outflow opening.
 4. A desiccant removal device for use in an elongated receiver of an integrated condenser/receiver unit, the receiver having an open end and being connected by an inflow opening and an outflow opening to a refrigerant manifold to transfer refrigerant between the receiver and the manifold, the removal device comprising: an impact wall positioned opposite from the inflow opening with the removal device inserted in the receiver; a plug closing the open end of the receiver with the removal device inserted in the receiver, the plug including a recess that engages a portion of the receiver to properly locate the impact wall with respect to the inflow opening with the removal device located in the receiver; a rod extending between and connecting the impact wall and the plug.
 5. The removal device of claim 4 wherein the rod had a cross-shaped cross section.
 6. The removal device of claim 4 further comprising a filter located at an end of the removal device opposite from the plug, and a seal engaged with the receiver between the inflow opening and the outflow opening. 